I love Elf. It's hilarious and heartwarming. But the season can't pass with at least one family viewing of Christmas Vacation. Cousin Eddie is the best! Sometimes I'm in the mood for a classic like Miracle on 34th Street (with Maureen O'Hara, of course!) or It's a Wonderful Life.

LAURA TRENTHAM is an award-winning author of contemporary and historical romance including Caught Up in the Touch, Kiss Me That Way, and others. She is a member of RWA, and has finaled multiple times in the Golden Heart competition. A chemical engineer by training and a lover of books by nature, she lives in South Carolina.

Website: www.lauratrentham.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorLauraTrentham

Twitter: @LauraTrentham

Emily March

It's a toss-up between It's a Wonderful Life and Christmas Vacation.

EMILY MARCH is the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty novels, including the critically acclaimed Eternity Springs series. Publishers Weekly calls March a "master of delightful banter," and her heartwarming, emotionally charged stories have been named to Best of the Year lists by Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Romance Writers of America. A graduate of Texas A&M University, Emily is an avid fan of Aggie sports and her recipe for jalapeño relish has made her a tailgating legend.

Website: www.emilymarch.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/emilymarchbooks

Twitter: @emilymarchbooks

Nancy Naigle

Oh gosh! My favorite Holiday Movie is pretty much the last Hallmark movie I just finished watching. I'm a Hallmark Movie junkie, and I'm proud of it! My favorite holiday show not including Hallmark is Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer. When the Abominable Snowman knocks poor Rudolph on the head and his eyes going rolling around .... you know the scene...I still cry. Poor Clarice.

USA Today bestselling author NANCY NAIGLE whips up small-town love stories with a dash of suspense and a whole lot of heart. Now happily retired, she devotes her time to writing, antiquing, and the occasional spa day with friends. A native of Virginia Beach, she currently calls North Carolina home. Her books include Sweet Tea and Secrets, Mint Juleps and Justice, and Christmas Joy.

Website: www.nancynaigle.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/NancyNaigleAuthor

Twitter: @nancynaigle

Mandy Baxter

The Holiday. I watch it whenever it's on. I'm obsessed with Jude Law in that movie!

MANDY BAXTER lives in rural Idaho. She's a part-time pet wrangler, a full-time sun worshiper, and only goes out into the cold when coerced. She loves black clothes, pink appliances and thinks junk food should be a recognized food group. In the summer, she can be found sitting by the lake, enjoying the view from her dock.

Website: mandy-baxter.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorMandyBaxter

Twitter: @MandyJBaxter

Donna Alward

White Christmas

While bestselling author DONNA ALWARD was busy studying Austen, Eliot and Shakespeare, she was also losing herself in the breathtaking stories created by romance novelists like LaVyrle Spencer, Judith McNaught, and Nora Roberts. Several years after completing her degree she decided to write a romance of her own and it was true love! Five years and ten manuscripts later she sold her first book and launched a new career. While her heartwarming stories of love, hope, and homecoming have been translated into several languages, hit bestseller lists and won awards, her very favorite thing is when she hears from happy readers!

Website: www.donnaalward.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/DonnaAlwardAuthor

Twitter: @DonnaAlward

Melissa Cutler

Die Hard (hehe)

Melissa Cutler is the author of The Mistletoe Effect and the One and Only Texas series. She knows she has the best job in the world writing sexy contemporary romances and romantic suspense. She was struck at an early age for an unrelenting travel bug and is probably planning her next vacation as you read this. When she's not globetrotting, she's enjoying Southern California's flip-flop wearing weather and wrangling two rambunctious kids.

Website: www.melissacutler.net

Facebook: www.facebook.com/MelissaCutlerBooks

Twitter: @m_cutler

Tara Wyatt

A Christmas Story. I'd never seen it growing up, and the first Christmas we were dating, my now husband introduced me to it. It had always been one of his favorites, and he was excited to watch it with me. We have a tradition of watching it together at least once in the days leading up to Christmas now.

TARA WYATT is a contemporary romance and romantic suspense author. Known for her humor and steamy love scenes, Tara’s writing has won several awards, including the Unpublished Winter Rose, the Linda Howard Award of Excellence, and the Heart of the West. A librarian by day and romance writer by night, Tara lives in Hamilton, Ontario with the world's cutest dog and a husband who makes all of her heroes look like chumps. Find her on Twitter @taradwyatt. She'd love to hear from you!

Website: www.tara-wyatt.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/tarawyattauthor

Twitter: @taradwyatt

Opal Carew

It's a tie between White Christmas and Holiday Inn. I know they’re really old, but I used to watch them with my mum when we wrapped Christmas presents together, so it keeps those wonderful childhood memories with me, which is so nice since neither of my parents are with us anymore.

OPAL CAREW is the author of more than eighteen erotic romances for St. Martin's Press including Forbidden Heat,Pleasure Bound, Twin Fantasies, and other erotic romance novels. She lives in Canada and makes regular trips to the U.S. to speak at conferences and industry events.

Website: www.opalcarew.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/OpalCarewRomanceAuthor

Twitter: @OpalCarew

Mary Connealy

MARY CONNEALY writes fun and lively "romantic comedy with cowboys" for the inspirational market. She is also a bestselling author of full-length book series including: Wild at Heart, Trouble in Texas, Kincaid Brides, Lassoed in Texas, Montana Marriages, and Sophie's Daughters. Mary is a Rita and Christy Award finalist and a two time winner of the Carol Award. Mary is the author of 17 novellas besides her 28 trade fiction books.

Website: hmaryconnealy.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/maryconnealy

Twitter: @MaryConnealy

Ruth Logan Herne

It's a Wonderful Life

Multi-published, best-selling author RUTH LOGAN HERNE likes nothing better than writing stories that warm the heart and ease the troubled soul. The author of more than fifteen Love Inspired contemporary novels, the “Double S Ranch” trilogy with PRH/Waterbrook and inspiring women’s fiction for Franciscan Media, Ruth has also become proficient in writing successful novellas for Zondervan, Summerside Press and several highly acclaimed novellas for the independent ebook market. Equally at home writing about small town folks or delving into the heart of big city neighborhoods, Ruthy lives on a farm in upstate New York, one of the snow-belt capitals of the world with her family, farm animals and pets.

Website: ruthloganherne.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/RuthLoganHerne

Twitter: @RuthLoganHerne

Margaret Brownley

This is a hard one since there are so many good ones. The movie I wasn't prepared to like as much as I did was Elf.

MARGARET BROWNLEY is a New York Times bestselling author and past Romance Writers of America RITA finalist with more than 30 novels to her credit. Not bad for someone who flunked 8th grade English. Just don't ask her to diagram a sentence. Margaret and her husband have three grown children and live in Southern California.

Monday, October 24, 2016

The seventh annual Holiday #Readathon begins on December 2 and runs through the 4th. This will be a great time to sneak in some holiday reads, catch up some books that you've been meaning to get to, and have fun along with other readers.

About Denise Jaden:Denise Jaden is the author of the critically-acclaimed young adult novels Losing Faith, Never Enough, and Foreign Exchange, as well as twononfiction books for writers: Writing With A Heavy Heart and Fast Fiction. When she’s not writing, she’s usually homeschooling her son (who is also a fast drafter of fiction) or dancing with her Polynesian dance troupe. Find her online on Twitter, Facebook, or on her website at denisejaden.com.

The summer before senior year, Chloe starts an internship as a reporter at a local newspaper. While on assignment, she meets Kieran, a quirky aspiring actor. Chloe becomes smitten with Kieran’s charisma and his ability to soothe her soul, torn over her parents’ impending divorce. But as their bond deepens, Kieran becomes smothering and flies into terrifying rages. He confides in Chloe that he suffered a traumatic childhood, and Chloe is moved to help him. If only he could be healed, she thinks, their relationship would be perfect. But her efforts backfire, and Kieran turns violent. Chloe breaks up with him, but Kieran pursues her relentlessly to make up. Chloe must make the heartrending choice between saving herself or saving Kieran, until Kieran’s mission of remorse turns into a quest for revenge.

My ThoughtsWhen I read this synopsis of GIRL ON THE BRINK and saw the beautiful cover, I wanted to read this book. I've read several books about teenage domestic abuse, but this one more than others has left me taken aback. To be quite honest, I'm finding it difficult to share my thoughts. Reading about Chloe and Kieran's relationship and seeing it all unfold as it was happening, was like reliving the nightmare of what my friend experienced when we were teenagers. Without revealing any specifics for the sake of her privacy, I can say that her story and Chloe's story are far too similar - the manipulation, the mind control, the separation from family and friends, the intimidation, and the physical abuse. And it was scary. Christina Hoag is very effective in her storytelling as she depicts the many stages of this relationship and the aftermath of its demise.

Quotes to note:

"I try to stop the spin, to get back to where I know I'm right." (Ch.8) - Kieran is getting out of control again, and Chloe recognizes the manipulation in the moment."I never thought you'd be one of those girls who makes a boyfriend her life and forgets her best friend. Boy, was I wrong." (Ch. 11) - said by Clarissa, Chloe's best friend. She doesn't know the whole truth of the situation, and is hurt by what she thinks she knows."He's doing it again, twisting the truth." (Ch. 11) - Even more manipuation. "It's my fault. Why didn't I break up with him after his fit of rage?" (Ch. 14) - Chloe blaming herself and victims are apt to do.

GIRL ON THE BRINK is a tough but necessary read. Maybe after some time, I can better express my thoughts, but right now I'm still taking it all in.

Disclaimer: I received this e-ARC as part of this blog tour in exchange for my honest review. I was not compensated in any way other than the e-ARC provided. Quotes shared in this review were taken from the e-ARC and may differ from the final published version. Thoughts and opinions are my own.